Combined castanet and tambourine



June 7, 1949. cum ANGELO 2,472,408

COMBINED QASTANET AND TAMBOURINE 7 Filed Dad. 6, 1944 Patented June 7, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED CASTANET AND TAMBoUmNi:

Carlo Di Angelo, Hostette'r, Pa.

Application December 6, 1944, Serial No. 566,886

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to castanets.

More specifically the invention relates to a combined castanet. and tambourine.

Castanets, as used by dancers and by musicians in orchestras, consist of two concave, spoonshaped shells connected together by a string which passes about the thumb of the user, the castanet resting in the palm of the hand of the user and the two shells are clapped together by the middle finger.

My castanet consists of two similarly shaped concave, spoon-shaped shells, in the concavity of each of which there is attached two or more loosely arranged metallic discs which have freedom of movement so that when they contact each other a musical or jingling sound is produced in combination with the usual clapping sound produced by bringing the two shells together. Further, this castanet is constructed so that the cord which connects the two shells together, and which cord is in the form of an endless loop, preferably a double-strand loop, is adapted to pass around the thumb and through the palm of the hand and around the little finger so as to position the castanet on top of the closed fist of the user, between the thumb and the first finger. In this manner of attaching the castanet. to the hand, the clapping 'produced by the shells and the jingling sound are produced by quick successive twists of the wrist of the user and the volume of the sound can be varied by gripping the cord loosely or tightly, as desired.

My combined castanet and tambourine is one that can be used by dancers and musicians in orchestras, but it also has a definite use as a. toy. It can also be used as a noise maker, such as those used at Halloween parties and other celebrations.

In view of the foregoing, therefore, it is an object of my invention to provide a castanet of simple construction and involving relatively few parts and one which is capable of long and eff ectiveand pleasurable use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a castanet having embodied therewith suitable discs which produce a jingling sound and which in effect results in a combined castanet and tambourine.

Another object of my invention is to provide a castanet having embodied therewith additional sound-producing means.

A further object of my invention is to provide a new and improved manner of attaching the castanet to the hand of the user so that quick 2 successive twists of the wrist result in the brineing together and clapping sound of the two shells.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved Way of attaching the combined castanet and tambourine to the hand of the user so that quick successive twists of the wrist will result both in the clapping sound caused by the bringing together of the two shells and simultaneously the jingling sound of the loosely mounted discs or other soundproducing means within the castanet.

With these and other objects in view, the in- Vention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement 'of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood by referring to the annexed drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing in full lines two shells constituting the castanet. and in pale lines the loosely mounted 'discs which effect the tambo'utine jingling' sound;

Fig. '2 is a transverse sectional view on the lines 22 of Fig. I;

Fig. 3, in full lines,- is a longitudinal sectional view on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1 and in dotted lines shows one 0f the shells moved about the piv'ot-forming means; V

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the pivot-forming means for'the two-shells;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view on the lines 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing one of the shell portions in'p'l'an view; and v Fig. '6 is an exploded perspective view showing the tambourine discs or the like which are attached within each or the shells constituting the castanet.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the castanet proper consists of t-we elements or concave spoon-shaped shells 1' and}, the concavity in each shell being denoted at '9 and 10, respectively. The forward portion M of each of the shells 1 and -8 is curved and rounded and the extreme rear end portion l2 presents a substantially flat face. This construction of each of the shell portions 1 and 8 results in the formation of an exterior flange l3 which follows the general contour and shape of each of the lower 3 portions of the shells l and B. The concave formation 9 and H] in each of the shells results in a forward sloping or inclined wall portion M and a substantially vertical rear wall portion l5.

Suitable metallic or other sound-producing means, here shown in the form of discs It and each provided with a central opening H, are loosely mounted in, preferably centrally of, the concave inner formation 9 and 18 of each of the shells constituting the castanet. The means of mounting the sound-producing discs or the like it as here shown consists of an ordinary wood screw l8 which passes through -the-openings H in the discs and is driven home into each of the central portions of the castanet sections 1 and 8. The discs or other sound-producing'means are free to move relatively to each other and to each shell. This freedom of movement of the discsor the like results in the production of a jingling or other sound, depending upon the particular type of sound producing means employed. There are at least two discs or'other sound-producing means with freedom of movement mounted in eachof the castanet shells.

The castanet shells l and 8 adjacent their rear end portions are provided with spaced openings l9. These'openings extend entirely through the flange It at the rear end portion of each of the castanet sections land 3 and the spaced openings in one of the shells are in alignment and register with similarly spaced openings in the flange of the other shell. These openings permit the cord 20, which is an endless loop formation, to be passed through the spaced registered openings.

The cord forming the loop, as shown, is preferably of double strand formation and the ends it are knotted or otherwise secured together.

By referring to Fig. 3 it Will be seen that that portion of the double strand loop which emerges from the bottom of the opening in the shell '1? is such that one of the strands extends about a pivot rod 22 at one side thereof, and the other strand passes about the other side of the pivot rod and then both strands pass through and beyond the'opening 19 in the shell section 8 which results in a free loop portion 26.

The pivot-forming rod 22 is of elongated formation, as clearly seen in Figs. 4 and 5 and is attached to shell 8 at the rear thereof and is maintained in this position by means of rightangled, pointed barbs 22 which are driven into the upstanding flange It. This pivot rod is of rounded formation and thereby provides a curved surface for the other shell I to pivot or rock thereon, as will be explained hereinafter;

The two shell sections 1 and 8 constituting the castanet, as described hereinbefore, are loosely held together by means of the cord loop 2t. In one position of the shells the forward portions 23 thereof-the flanged portions-engage and,- due to the pivotal mounting of the twosections on the rod 22, the rear portions 24 of the shell are spaced from each other (see Fig. 3).

While I do not intend or desire to be limited to the particular manner of attaching the castanet to the hand, I have found that it is preferable to pass the flexible loop 20' of the cord around the thumb, through the palm of the hand and around the little finger. By thus positioning the 4 castanet on the hand and assuming that the hand is closed in the form of a fist, this will dispose the castanet on top of the first finger and thumb. Then, by simple, quick, successive twists of the wrist, the castanet shells I and 8 move about the pivot rod 22 and are quickly brought together to produce the clapping sound and, simultaneously therewith, the jingling sound of the discs 16 or other sound-producing means within the castanet. With a little practice the user can produce a great variety of rhythmic sounds and the volume of the sound or sounds can be varied by the grip or tension applied by the hand to the flexible cordloop 20. If this loop is gripped tightly, the volume of sound is lessened and by loosening the grip, the volume of sound is increased.-

For purposes of illustration only, the tambourine effect is shown as consisting of a plurality of loosely mounted discs in each of the castanet shells 1 and 8. However, it is to be understood that'these discs, -orsimi1ar soundproducin means, may be affixed or disposed in one of the castanet shells only.

The castanet shells may be 'made of wood, plastic, metal of combinations of these materials or any other suitable material.

I claim:

1. An instrument of the character described comprising two similarly shaped concave-sound producing members, pivot forming means rigidly secured to the inner face of one of said concaved members at one end thereof, the other concaved member adapted to contact at one end and move about said pivot forming means, and flexible hand-grip means passing through both'of said members on opposite sides of said pivot forming means and connecting said members together.

2. A castanet comprising two similarly shaped members of concave shell-like formation, disposed opposite each other with their concave sides facing inwardly, pivot forming means on one of the members at one end thereof, the other member being adapted to contact and rock abouts-aid pivot forming means at its corresponding end, flexible means passing through both of said members at one side'of said pivot forming means loosely connecting the same, said flexible means being of a length to extend beyond the outer side of one of said members and forming a hand grip portion providing for holding anddrawing the members together at said pivot forming'means, one of said members having sound producing discs loosely mounted thereon-within the confines cf the concave formation thereof for limited free'relative movement.

CARLO DI ANGELO;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

